Hi All, Dan here.
If you look again at my comment appended to Anto's at the beginning of this thread, I did _not_ say all non-Thorn discussions were prohibited. What I said was...
They [Thorn] do, however, pay the costs to provide this Forum as a playground for discussion of their branded bikes and related topics...touring, mechanical issues, accessories, all the things that might conceivably be Thorn related or would also work on a Thorn.
That covers a lot of ground!
Unlike the vast majority of general topic Forums, this one is single-maker sponsored and provided. My reason for deleting the link in Anto's post was because it generated interest in -- could be seen as directly promoting -- a bike at the expense of a Thorn, as I clearly stated. Doesn't it seem a little unkind to bite the hand that feeds you? In this case, the video created an instant "I want" that was a pretty clear case of promotion as I saw it, not unlike putting an advertisement for a competing brand of car (Chevrolet) on a forum provided by another maker (Ford). That's why I flagged it and wrote what I did in explanation and it is no different than my reminders in the past. I have fifteen bikes of my own including one Thorn, but refrain from posting about the others because they aren't this marque. It is not true members cannot discuss things that aren't Thorn related; one only has to look at the vast array and breadth of topics on the Forum to see the great diversity in topics. It is precisely why we have a board for "Anything Cycling...non-Thorn related" and a "Muppets" board...plus all the other boards. Though Andre rides a Utopia, he has certainly brought a lot of useful information that has been applicable to Thorns. He certainly has not been censored by me.
I have administered the forum without remuneration and on Thorn's behalf for six years. It has taken a lot of time, often as much as 30-40 hours a week as I administered the back-end, corrected outages, performed server maintenance, removed or prevented spam, contributed to topics myself, and addressed a number of requests for assistance that came offline in the form of PMs and emails. Throughout that time I have documented my administrative activities on a board only other administrators can see so Thorn have been fully advised. I have also been in contact with Robin and with Dave Whittle, who know and have encouraged me in my efforts on behalf of the company and forum. The result has been a pleasant community with little administrative interference, the only real administrative reminders being to be nice to each other, to avoid libelous statements that could result in legal action, and to try and keep things largely focused on Thorn products in general with a few exceptions that can be counted on the fingers of one hand. When things go sour between members and squabbles occur, they don't always trigger actions on my own. Rather, the quieter members send me PMs and emails asking for peace to be restored so they can get back to the usual calm tenor of the Forum. Most of the complaints and comments about the actions of other members come to me offline in PMs and emails and I am responsive to those.
When there have been squabbles, much has gone on behind the scenes that users do not see, which is how it should be.
I have been in contact with Robin on this (present) topic from the beginning and we are working on a plan going forward. Independently, I am also pondering my time commitment to the Forum, as it has taken time from my regular job, recreation and touring with no compensation except what came from keeping things running generally smoothly and pleasantly and helping others. Stay tuned, for there will likely be changes in the works as the Forum evolves.
As for my statement that...
The best way to support the Forum and ensure its future is to purchase things from Thorn/SJS Cycles so it will be worth their while to continue.
...it is true. If you love the bikes, then it is worthwhile considering a purchase from the company that makes them!
With best regards to all,
Dan.
Thorn Cycling Forum Administrator
